Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-12-20
THE SENATE'S WORK.
Some Routine Business-A Rousing Reso-
lutIon and Speech From MIR. Pugh.

Tipgle on the Alaska seal fisheries was re-
ceived.
Mr.. Blair made favorable and unani-
nous report from the Committee on Edu-
Mr.. Palmer introduced bill to provide
for the suppression OF contagious diseases
of cattle and to facilitate the expectation
of live stock.
Mr.. Sawyer renewed his motion to re-
consider the vote by which the Senate au-
th0rized the appointment Of special COM
inittee on postal telegraph. Mr.. Butler
withdrew his objection to reconsideration,
and agreed that the subject should belief
10 the Pnstoffice Committe, as has hereto
fore been The practice.
Among the papers presented to the Sen
ate was communication from the SeCre-
tary of the Treasury, enclosing copies of
papers relating to the recent bonding of the
Pacific Coast Steamship Company. Refer
red to the Committee on Commerce. Also
memorial OF the constitutional cOnven-
tiOn of the Territory of Utah, asking ad
mission into the Union as State; with
copies of the constitution. Referred to the
Committee on Territories.
Mr.. Sherman moved the reference Of the
Presidents message, and gave notice that
on this motion he would address the Senate
after the holidays.
Mr.. Pugh offered the following resolution
and proceeded to address the Senate in
support OF it:
ResOlred, That the most important aud
pressing duty of the present session OF Con
gress is TO revise and so amend the existing
internal tax and tariff laws as to reduce
the annual revenues TO be collected there
from to the necessary wants OF the Federal
Government, and no more than it needs to
pay it's matured debts and discharged its obi
cations under the laws of Congress without
crippliug or deranging any American indus.
tries OF business or interest connected with
the subject OF tariff taxation, or interier-
ing with the Just rights of American work
ing people, intended to be secured to them
by the incidental effects of revenue duties,
to share i'll the joint products of the labor
and capital employed in American mining
and manufacturing industries to the full
measure OF the difference in the cost of
their labor and labor engaged in similar
industries in Europe.
RcsOIrcd, That the Senate will concur in
no Joint resolution for the final adjourn
ment of the present session OF Congress
until after the passage of such remedial
laws rs specified in the foregoing resOlu-
tiOn.
In the course of his argument, Mr..
Pugh asked whether Congress would wipe
out all internal revenue taxes and allow
the necessary revenue to be raised on tariff
| imports alone. lie had never clearer or
stronger conviction than the conviction
that the whiskey tax was perfectly just,
and wholly unobjectionable, except on the
ground that it was a direct tax. There
was nothing produced, owned and con-
sumed that could supply the Government
with ninety millions Of revenue, with
mere prOpriety and less injury to any
human being than whiskey.
He had never heard any valid reason,
and did not believe there was any valid
reason, why the whisky drinker should be
relieved from the payment of this tax,
and why the revenue which it yielded
should be eXtorted by the tariff from the
consumers of necessaries Of life. lie knew
of no better Use to which whisky could be
applied than to the production of ninety
millions of revenue necessary to pay pen
sions and interest on the war debt, instead
of extOrting that amount from the harm
less consumption of imported articles.
| Who insisted, he asked, that the luxury
of whiskey drinking should be freed from
! the burden. Was it the whiskey drink
ers or the whiskey makers who declared
that there should be no revision of the
tariff until every internal revenue tax was
repealed? The cry came lOudest and
! fiercest from the manufacturers and their
representatives. The most defiant and
uncompromising advocates OF free whiSkey
were the manufacturers OF protected ar
ticleS.
As general compromise, he would re-
peal the internal tax on tobacco, for the
sole reason that tobacco was an agricul-
tural product, and let the tax on whisky
stand for future consideration. He de-
clared that he would vote for no duty on
auy article manufactured in the United
States that would cripple any home indus
try, or impair the ability of home cOmpeti-
tion. No people, he said had ever sub
mitied so long to robbery on the part of
j their own government, and those who Op-
posed revision OF the tariff at
the risk of financial panic and industrial
paralysis became parties to this robbery,
and became political criminals. Both the
Republican aud Democratic parties had
promised to reduce the income to the wants
of the government, and it was tTitliDg for
Republicans to charge upon the Democratic
partv the blame of the failure to revise the
the tariff. This Congress could not adj
journ until such a change was made,in the
laws as would stop that flow of money
from the people into the national treasury
beyond the needs OF the government.
He wOuld put on tho free list chemical
and raw wool all low grades, and salt, and
might @ willing to add other articles to
the free list lie was not in favor, how
ever, of putting iron ore on the +. ee list.
The doing so would he regarded by the ore
land owners and ore land workers of Ala
bama, Tennessee, Virginia and West Eir-
ginia, n 6E act Of unjust discrimination
in favor Of foreign iron oreS, is tn pig iron,
on which the present duty was $6T2 per
ton, he believed that q duty OF s. per ton
would be ample.
He made these remarks to show that this
was not the least danger TO the iron ore
and pig iron interests from any reduction
of the tarifr. President Cleveland, had, in
his recent annual message, shown courage
and patriotism never exhibited before by
any public man in his position and with
his surroundings. There could be no mis-
take as to what the President believed to
be the paramount duty of Congress. There
was not single sentence in the message
that was not the truth, and the whole
truth.
At the close OF Mr.. Pugh's remarks the
resolution was ordered to lie on the table
AT. Blair gave notice he would to-mor
row AJAX the Senate to proceed to the con
sideration OF the educational bill. ThI
Senate then proceeded to executive busi
ness, and when the doors were reopeneC
adjourned.
sarCent's Trial Postponed.
|, | SoscInI TSleOrnTn 10 ths ilS0iSiCT,